My favourite Hindi film set in a small town would undoubtedly be Bareilly Ki Barfi. With a fabulous Ayushmann Khurrana as its male lead and the quirky Kriti Sanon as Bitti, the film has highlighted the essence of Bareilly in an unimaginable way. The story, actors and, of course, the small town of Bareilly made it the cult film that it is today. (My favourite Hindi film set in a small town is... June 3) Ishani Das

Small towns have inspirational stories to narrate. They have been a regular element of Bollywood films because of their conservative character. Often, the film-makers throw light on these constraints in a creative, empathetic way in order to raise awareness. One of my favourite films in this genre is Masaan (2015). Set in the picturesque city of Varanasi, it dives deep into the lives of Deepak (Vicky Kaushal) and Devi (Richa Chadha). After Devi was caught having an inappropriate relationship with a student and his subsequent suicide, she fell into the trap of a greedy police inspector who demanded bribes in order to conceal the truth and maintain their dignity in society. She feels suffocated as she is continuously subjected to harassment at her workplace and ultimately decides to leave Varanasi altogether. On the other hand, Deepak is a civil engineering student working with his family at the cremation ghats. His life takes a turn when he falls in love with Shaalu (Shweta Tripathi), a high-caste Hindu girl who accepts him despite belonging to a lower caste. Unfortunately, she dies in a bus accident and her corpse is brought to the ghat where Deepak works. He is distraught after he finds her among all the corpses and cries bitterly. However, he lets go of his past and secures a job in the Indian Railways, ending his family’s hardships. In a fit of grief, he throws her ring into the river which is found by a kid who gives it to Devi’s father. He sells off that ring and pays off the bribe. Towards the end, Deepak finds a devastated Devi and offers her some water. They board a boat and strike up a conversation. This film artistically explores the social evils prevalent in modern-day India and how it impacts the life of an individual. Grief, sorrow and optimism are its recurring themes. Vicky Kaushal, Richa Chadha and Shweta Tripathi impressed the audience with their exceptional talent adding to the cult status of this film. An amazing film definitely worth a watch! Aayman Anwar Ali

Released in 2015 and starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar, Dum Laga Ke Haisha is set in Haridwar. It takes us back to the cassette player world of the 1990s. A plus-sized girl gets married to a reluctant groom. The arranged marriage hits a bumpy track right from the start. However, there is a contest where Ayushmann has to carry Bhumi on his back and race to the finish line. This race is what brings the unusual couple together and the marriage is brought back from the brink of disaster. The movie shows Haridwar in all its cute small-town charm with its glittering ghats. The temple town comes alive with the twinkling diya lights lacing the dark, tempestuous Ganges as she flounces down from the Himalayas. A must-see for its concept and for the sterling performances by the entire cast. Pampa Paul

My favourite film set in a small town is Bareilly ki Barfi. As the title suggests, the movie is set in the alleys of the small town of Bareilly. With Kriti Sanon stepping into the shoes of the feisty character of Bitti Mishra, a tomboyish girl, it depicts her pursuit of Pritam Vidrohi, who is the author of a book titled Bareilly Ki Barfi after finding her own reflection in the book’s protagonist. In her quest, she meets Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana), a book-shop owner who published the book and they become close friends. The entire cast is outstanding, especially Rajkummar Rao, who played the role of Pritam Vidrohi, is really commendable. Bareilly Ki Barfi not only features an unusual smalltown love story but also explores many other beautiful aspects like a heart-touching father-daughter relationship, the grit of a smalltown girl and her protests against an arranged marriage and, of course, the lanes and bylanes of Bareilly. To be honest, I was inspired by the character of Bitti so much that I want to be as freespirited as her. Sikrity Ghosh

My favourite Hindi film set in a small town is Stree (2018). The film has its own charm. The inhabitants, who have been born and brought up there, are rooted in its distinct customs and share a close bond with others in the locality. Small towns have their own cultural beliefs and traditions which are extremely deep-rooted. In Stree, Rajkummar Rao aka Vicky, and his whole gang help each other to fight against the whole century-long phobia against a frightful female ghostly spirit. And in doing so, the film gives the audience important lessons on gender equality and mutual respect. Pallabi Chatterjee

My favourite Hindi film set in a small town would be the horror-comedy Stree (2018). Set in the small, pretty town of Chanderi, the protagonists Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) and Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), aided by the slightly off-kilter local librarian Rudra Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), set out to combat the local evil — stree. A sweet hint of mysterious romance, subtly discussed gender inequality and high-class acting leave us alternatively sitting on the edge of our seats or laughing our heads off. The mysterious unnamed character, played by Shraddha Kapoor, adds the required taste of the unknown in the film and arouses suspense in the minds of the viewers. Then the way she deals with Jana’s possession, her anger at Shastri’s definition of the word ‘stree’ and her way of taking care of the situation when ‘stree’ is summoned. The horror film is also a lesson on gender equality as ‘stree’ was created because of the lack of regard of men for women. There is laughter, there is a creepy atmosphere and there is sweetness. The two scenes that struck me the most were that of the first possession and the last scene, where Shraddha vanishes after fastening the spirit’s severed braid to her own. Shalmali Chakraborty

Small-town love stories in films are everyone’s favourite as they showcase different aspects of society, along with the beautiful and peaceful life of its people. Thesetowns have narrow lanes, narrow mindsets, beautiful scenery and close-knit relations. Love is all about daring and this small-town love story made us believe it. Set in the lanes and bylanes of UP’s Bareilly, this was an endearing love triangle, and an even more delightful story capturing the father-daughter bond. But the hero remains the town itself — Bareilly. The story revolves around a smalltown girl named Bitti who doesn’t seem to fit in her milieu. Bitti (Kriti Sanon) is a tomboyish girl who loves doing anything that goes against patriarchy. Chirag (Ayushmann Khurrana) likes her but is unable to tell her this even when he sees her almost getting married to another guy. The celebrations, lives and language of small-town people, their customs and beliefs, and the use of social media to approach your crush — these little details make the movie interesting and charming. Throughout the movie, you will keep laughing and wondering what is going to happen next. And there’s one scene towards the end, when Chirag reads an emotional letter to Bitti. That’s the best scene of the movie, which is sure to make you fall in love yet again. The story ends on a sweet note with her finding true love. Roshni Ojha

My favourite Hindi film set in a small town is Dum Laga Ke Haisha. This fantastic movie starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar was released in 2015 and was set in Haridwar. In this film, director Sharat Kataria told audiences the love story of Prem and Sandhya. The tale was very sweet and heart-touching. Plus, the essence of Haridwar was so beautifully captured that the holy city actually became an important character in the movie. In fact, this hugely entertaining and hit movie is not only just my favourite Hindi film set in a small town but also one of my all-time favourite romantic films in Bollywood as well. Sourish Misra